Putting the Pieces Together (Little Bit by Little Bit)
by Dolores-the-Dip
Summary: What happens when Peppermint Patty and Marcie meet a girl named Claudia, who has autism? Read to find out. Shout-out to all the Autistic writers here on Fanfiction.


Putting the Pieces Together

(Little Bit by Little Bit)

A Peanuts Fanfiction

OCs (Claudia, Krissy, Gracie and Mrs. Grandin) and Fanfiction: LivingOnLaughs

Peanuts: Charles M Schulz

Zip! Zip! Zip! Zip! Claudia liked that sound. She smiled as she zippered up her backpack, unzipped it and zipped it back up again repeatedly.

"Hi Claude" Peppermint Patty loudly yelled, causing Claudia to look up at Patty's nose in alarm before covering her ears with her hands.

"Too loud, too loud" Claudia told herself as she looked over at her backpack. She had a pair of noise-canceling headphones in there that she'd use whenever her sensitive ears got too sensitive.

"Marcie, what's Claude doing?" the tomboy asked in confusion. They had seen Claudia do this before, but to them, it was a mystery.

"Maybe she just needs quiet" Marcie suggested as she walked towards the orange-haired girl. "Hi Claudia" the brunette calmly said.

"H-hi, Marcie" Claudia quietly whispered, not making eye contact with the shy nerd at all. Peppermint Patty and Marcie never understood why Claudia did those things however.

"Y-you're in my space bubble" the fiery haired girl quivered, skootching over.

"Sorry, Claudia…I know you need your space" Marcie realized, respecting Claudia's wish.

"Hey Claude, what's wrong?" Patty asked, walking towards Claudia as well.

"Too loud, too loud" Claudia repeated over and over again, Peppermint Patty and Marcie still didn't understand what Claudia was talking about however.

"Claude, what's too loud?" the rowdy girl asked.

Claudia pointed to the telephone wire, as one of the cables had broken loose. "I don't like the buzzing" she cried, tears forming in her eyes.

Marcie soon realized Claudia wasn't just noise sensitive; she was different than the others. "Here Claudia" the bespectacled brunette insisted, handing her friend a pair of blue headphones.

" _Thanks"_ Claudia wanted to say, but kept quiet as she put the pair of headphones on her ears. It was like she was in her own little world.

"Claude, do you hear me?" Peppermint Patty asked, tapping Claudia's shoulder multiple times.

"I think she hears you, Sir; but maybe you should give her space," Marcie suggested.

"Why, Marcie? Can't she hear me?" the tomboy asked.

"I believe she does hear you, Sir; but notice how she doesn't make eye contact, has sensitive ears and prefers quietness? I think she's different from us" the bespectacled girl reported.

"And Charlie Brown has a round head" Peppermint Patty sarcastically answered.

At the library later that day, Patty was looking on the computer for symptoms of whatever 'condition' Claudia might have.

"Let's see…not making eye contact, noise sensitive, doesn't listen when you talk to them," the tomboy typed into Google.

"Don't forget repetitive motions, Sir…she always fidgets with her bracelet and her backpack zipper" Marcie added.

"Yeah, yeah…whatever, Marcie" Patty grumbled as a few suggestions came up. One of them was something called _'autism'_

"What's autism, Marcie?" the tomboy asked.

"I wish I knew, Sir; but you learn something new every day" the bespectacled girl responded as they clicked on one of the sites providing facts on autism.

"It says here that autism-or ASD-is when the brain isn't wired properly" Peppermint Patty began reading.

"It also says that people with autism have difficulties in some aspects, like making eye contact and socializing…but I struggle with socializing, Sir…does that make me autistic?" the timid girl asked.

"No, Marcie…you're just a weird introvert…Claudia seems to have autism" Patty reassured.

"Oh…well it also says that someone with autism might not like loud noises and changes in daily routines…they also stimulate with repetitive motions such as hand flapping, jumping and spinning" the bespectacled girl continued reading.

"It also says they like fidgeting…what on Earth is that?" the tomboy asked.

"Fidgeting is when you keep your hands busy with an object," Marcie explained.

"Oh…so someone with autism likes fidgeting and might have a favorite texture…but Linus likes his blanket, does that make him autistic?" Peppermint Patty realized.

"Nah, Linus is just insecure," the brunette reminded her friend. They really were learning something new: the new kid on their street had autism.

"It doesn't say autism is contagious or life threatening though…which is good" the tomboy told her best friend.

"It also says there's high-functioning and low-functioning autism, Sir; high functioning meaning someone who learns at the same level as someone without autism and low functioning being someone who needs extra help" the bespectacled girl noticed.

"There's so much to learn" Patty explained to her younger friend, who smiled happily.

"Indeed, Sir. For example: I never knew Claudia has autism" Marcie explained in awe.  
"Well, we don't know for sure; but I'm sure Claude's mom will tell us" Patty reminded her friend.

"But Sir, what if she doesn't like talking about it?" the bespectacled girl questioned.

"I never thought of it that way, Marcie…good point" Peppermint Patty sighed.

After looking up more facts of autism spectrum disorder, Peppermint Patty and Marcie headed over to Claudia's house, only to be greeted by her mother.

"Good afternoon, ma'am…we're sorry to bother you but we have a few questions to ask you…" the latter began, blushing a little.

"Wahh wahh wahhh wah wahh wah wahhh?*" the orange haired woman asked. (*Are you two friends of Claudia?)

"Why yes, we are friends of Claudia…well, more like acquaintances…" Marcie explained.

"Well, Mrs.-" Peppermint Patty began.

"Wahh wahh*" Claudia's mom answered. (*Grandin)

"-Grandin…we just want to know something about Claude, if it's no trouble" the tomboy continued.

"Wahh wah wahh wah wahhh wah*" the woman responded. (*It's no trouble at all)

"It's no trouble at all? Good…is Claudia autistic?" Patty asked.

"Wahhh wahh wahhh wah, wahh wah wahhh*?" Mrs. Grandin asked. (*Why yes, she is. How'd you know?)

"She is…we found out by trying to figure out why she has sensitive ears, doesn't look at us and fidgets with her bracelet all the time" Marcie told the woman.

"Wahhh wahh wahhhh wahhh*" Mrs. Grandin encouraged. (*Well come on in)

"We can come in? Okay" Patty squealed happily, racing inside.

"Wahh wahhh wah wahh wahhhh wahhh wah?*" Claudia's mom asked. (Would you girls like some cookies?*)

"Oh yes, we'd love some cookies" the bespectacled girl exclaimed.

"Claude, Claude it's me, Peppermint Patty…can I come in" Peppermint Patty asked after Mrs. Grandin showed them to Claudia's room.

Claudia sighed and slowly opened her bedroom door, smiling slightly.

"Hi Claudia" Marcie softly said to her friend.

"Hi…" Claudia quivered.

"May we come in, please?" the tomboy asked, trying to be friendly.

"S-sure, just don't t-touch anything" the autistic girl sighed, opening the door a little more.

"Okay, Claude" Peppermint Patty replied as she and Marcie walked inside.

Her room wasn't what they were expecting at all: everything in her room was scattered all over the floor mainly because she had papers all over the floor along with Sharpies, markers, pencil crayons, crayons and watercolors.

"I put my art supplies in this little drawer," Claudia announced, pulling out a drawer in her dresser.

"Woah!" Patty stated.

"Don't worry, these are just extra drawers that I use for my art supplies…my drawings go on the walls," the autistic redhead explained as she grabbed some masking tape from another drawer and bit off a piece.

"Impressive, Claudia…what do you like drawing?" Marcie asked.

"I like drawing dogs…Snoopy inspired me to draw this," Claudia added, handing her friend a drawing of Snoopy done with watercolors.

"Nice" the bespectacled brunette complimented.

"I agree, Claude, these would be wonderful for the school's 7th annual art show" Patty smiled.

"Just be glad she's showing you her artwork…usually she wouldn't show anyone besides me, mom and Gracie" a milk chocolate haired teenager added from behind the tomboy.

"Krissy, **OUTA MY ROOM!** " Claudia screamed.

"Well who's Gracie?" Marcie asked, trying to sooth Claudia.

"Gracie! Gracie!" the autistic girl called out as a brown beagle ran into the paper filled room.

"Wow! She's a funny looking kid with a big nose too!" Peppermint Patty exclaimed.

"Beagle, Sir, it's a beagle" the brunette sighed.

"This is Gracie, my pet beagle and therapist on four legs," Claudia explained as Gracie licked her face.

"Neat" Patty exclaimed.

"A therapist? Puh-lease…that's a dog" Krissy laughed as she left her sister's room.

"Yeah…Gracie here, she helped me come out of my shell a little" Claudia responded.

"That explains why you like Snoopy," the tomboy concluded.

"I like him because I love animals…their fur calms me and they're really good listeners" the shy redhead explained as she scratched Gracie behind the ear.

"So Claude, when'd you get Autism?" Peppermint Patty asked.

"Oh, I was born with it, but diagnosed at 3" Claudia answered, not making eye contact with the tomboy or shy brunette.

"Claude, do you hear me when I talk to you?" the former questioned.

"Yes," the autistic girl replied.

"Well, what's it like being you?" Marcie asked.

Claudia went silent and walked out of the room.

Krissy sighed at her sister's behavior. "Claudia, someone asked you a question…Sorry girls, she doesn't like talking about having Asperger's," the teen explained.

"Woah! Wait a minute! I thought Claude has Autism! What's Asperger's? Is it life threatening?" the rowdy tomboy questioned.

"Asperger's and Autism are the same thing and no, it's not life threatening," Krissy explained, "And as for what it's like being Claudia…you two better get comfortable"

"Okay" Marcie agreed as Patty sighed.

"Well, Claudia was non-verbal as a toddler…that means she couldn't talk" the teenager began, showing the girls some pictures on her phone. One was of a younger Krissy holding a younger Claudia. Oddly, only Krissy was looking at the camera.

"What happened in the picture?" Patty asked introspectively.

"You see, Claudia is fascinated by bright colors and doesn't make eye contact, so she didn't look at the camera; that was a sign to Mom that Claudia was different," the teen continued, scrolling to another picture. This one showed Claudia with a painting of a flower.

"Woah…she painted that?" the tomboy asked in disbelief.

"Yup. All by herself" Krissy smiled. "People with Autism are fascinated by a particular interest. For Claudia, it was painting, drawing and doodling. She also hates change," the teen told the two girls.

Claudia sighed, walking back into her room. "Okay, I'm back…just don't ask me any questions like that ever again" she explained.

"Oh, in that case I'll be leaving" Krissy sighed, leaving the room.

Patty spoke up: "Wow, Claude, I never knew you were so…complex" she explained.

"Yeah, my mom has had three children in her life, I'm the only one that didn't come with a manual" Claudia revealed.

"So? Everybody's different," Marcie reminded the two girls.

"And no two people with Autism are the same either. We learnt that one person on the spectrum might be non-verbal, one might flap their arms or spin in circles and another one might be noise, light, smell, touch or taste sensitive" Patty explained.

"That's true" Claudia sighed.

"Which reminds me: what is the spectrum?" the rowdy girl asked.

"It's a wide variety of different things, Sir. I'm guessing that for people on the Autism Spectrum, it means they show some of the signs; but not all of them, right?" Marcie asked.

"Exactly!" Krissy called out.

Claudia sighed, putting her watercolors away in one drawer, Sharpies in another and glitter pens in another. "Yeah, my mom says that everyone on the Autism Spectrum is a snowflake" she added.

"No two snowflakes are the same, Claude," Patty explained.

"Neither are two individuals on the spectrum," the bespectacled brunette answered.

Patty looked over at Claudia. "Claude, we want to help you, how can we?" she asked.

"I'm not sick or crippled; I can still function like a normal person, so if you can treat me like everyone else, that'd be a wonderful start" Claudia answered back.

"Oh" Marcie realized. "Does it help when others know about you having autism?" she asked.

"It actually does. It always helps me if I ever go into a sensory overload and someone knows about it, kinda like earlier today" the redhead answered back.

"We didn't know what was wrong; but now we do" Peppermint Patty added. "And we'll treat you like one of our own friends, after all, you can't infect us and you're not in a critical condition"

"Yeah, I really like you two…you seem like you're good friends to each other…" Claudia smiled.

"And we want to be your friend too" the tomboy continued, about to hug Claudia when the autistic girl squeezed Patty like a lemon.

"Claudia…personal space" Marcie muttered as Claudia blushed a bright red.

"Oh yeah, sorry 'bout that" the pigtailed girl chuckled nervously.

"It's fine" answered Patty. "Besides, I was gonna hug you first" she told Claudia, who smiled.

"Group hug?" Claudia questioned.

"Group hug" answered Peppermint Patty and Marcie.

"Thanks" the girl with the pigtails replied, happy to finally be accepted by two wonderful girls.


End file.
